Pokémon Best Wishes: Evolution by Fire!
by Princess Rozeria
Summary: -A oneshot based on the Pokémon Best Wishes episode, told from the point of view of Tepig.- When Ash faces a mysterious boy in battle, Tepig finds himself assaulted by the many bad memories of his past, rendering him useless for battle. Can a best friend's sacrifice and an evolution by fire heal Tepig to finally stand up and fight?


_Author's Note: This is a oneshot I wrote such a long time ago and just recently found sitting idly in my documents. I thought I'd post it up. Anyway, I'd like to address this specifically to Happy Yoshi, who likes the same Pokemon anime episodes as myself. ^^_

_This story cuts right to the battle between Ash and Suwama._

* * *

**~ Evolution by Fire! ~**

...

I was horrified when I saw the Trainer facing Ash, who was wearing a simple black jacket, had red hair, greedy eyes, and a mouth which always seemed to be twisted in a sly smile.

_That's my ex-Trainer,_ I thought. _I'm about to fight against my ex-Trainer. The one who... who..._

I couldn't even finish the thought.

Snivy, my companion, was grinning with excitement. She was a Grass-type Pokémon, slim and green like a snake. She had huge brown eyes, and is calm and a bit mysterious, even though she was facing stronger opponents. I could tell that she was really looking forward to having a heated battle.

And what a heated battle this was going to be!

The opposing Trainer, Suwama, sent out a huge Emboar and a Heatmor. They both looked big and strong, stronger than both Snivy and I. They were also both Fire-types. Emboar had his fiery, flaming beard to prove that. He was wearing a smirk and gnashing his knuckles together.

"Ready, Snivy?" exclaimed Ash, my Trainer. Snivy nodded, fire in her brown eyes. "Tajaa! Tsutarja!"

"Ready, Tepig?"

His eyes were on me, I could feel it. Snivy's eyes were on me, too, wondering why I wasn't answering. "Poka," I said, rather weakly, instead. Just looking at Suwama gives me nightmares. I cannot imagine how I'm going to attack his Pokémon, let alone defeat him. Ash doesn't understand. He doesn't know Suwama and I. Our history. Neither does Snivy. No one knows it but me and Suwama himself.

Ash was puzzled, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Suwama was wearing an ugly smirk.

And then the battle began.

Ash commanded Snivy to use Leaf Storm. Thanks to her superior unparalleled speed, she moved first, running towards Emboar, leaves swirling around her like a veil. She leapt.

"Tajaa!"

With a flourish of her leafy tail, she unleashed the shot at Suwama's Emboar. Razor-sharp leaves began to hurtle at him like tiny missiles. I watched tensely. Snivy's Leaf Storm is powerful. If it hit Emboar...

It didn't.

"Emboar! Don't let it get you!" Suwama shouted, and Emboar suddenly raised his huge arm and punched just as he was about to get hit. Snivy's Leaf Storm broke to a thousand pieces, tiny fragments of the leaves raining down harmlessly like green snow.

Snivy gasped, then gritted her teeth in determination.

"Now, Emboar!" Suwama shouted again, waving his arms with anticipation as he commanded his brutish Pokémon. "Attack Tepig! FIRE PUNCH!"

The ground vibrated underneath me. Emboar was running, at the same time his fists were beginning to glow white-hot with fire. He let out a roar, his fists springing forward in a deadly Fire Punch.

"Tepig! Dodge!" shouted Ash. But my limbs were too frozen to move, my eyes unconsciously lingering on the face of Suwama.

Suwama. My ex-Trainer, the Trainer who...

... ... ...

... ...

...

_who..._

* * *

⌣»̶✽«̶ _It was late afternoon, and the sun was setting._

_Suwama and I were on the grounds of his school. I can never understand why he did it back then._

_I couldn't move. A short piece of rope was tied around my neck, like a collar I've seen Lillipup wear, and the other end of it was tied to a wooden stake driven into the ground. My eyes were wide as I stared at him._

_He stood up. Mumbling something under his breath. He took one last look at me, his Pokémon, and suddenly he smiled._

_I can never understand why he did what he did back then._

_He turned on his heel and left._

_Wait! Are you leaving me here?! I tried to run after him, but this silly collar held me back. I got as far as a few feet until the rope pulled me back and I was flopping onto the ground uselessly._

_I tried to call to him, my pathetic cries of "Pokaaa! Pokabu!" echoing on the building walls, but he had no care in the world for me. I stared at his retreating back. He must have heard my cries, yet he didn't come back. He kept on walking, smiling._

_The sun set. I was totally alone in the darkness, a Pokémon that had just been abandoned by his own Trainer._

_And I have never seen him since... _

_Until now._

* * *

WHAM! A horrible pain jolted me out of my thoughts. One second I was standing on the ground, and the next I was flying through the air, landing painfully, bouncing up again, to finally land on a heap on the floor. I groaned and raised my head, only to lock eyes with Suwama.

Suddenly his voice rang out loudly, drowning out the frantic one of Ash calling out to me whether I was all right.

"Oh, my Pokémon... He hasn't improved one bit since I last trained him. What a weakling." His mouth twisted into a smirk.

Ash gasped at his sudden revelation. "_Tepig was your Pokémon?!_"

"He was," Suwama said. "Until I've had enough of him and his weakness and decided that I was going to... Train someone else." Insert air quotes.

"What do you mean, _train someone else?!_" Iris, the young Dragon Tamer Gym Leader of Opelucid City and Ash's travel companion shouted. She was quite hotheaded, and Suwama's explanation didn't satisfy her.

"Oh, you know, I left him in the school grounds after I've had enough of him."

Shouts of anger from Iris. Gasps from Cilan, Ash's other companion and one of the Striaton City Gym Leaders, and Ash himself. Pikachu's squeals of "Pika pikaa!" and Snivy's cries of "Tajaa!"

My ex-Trainer abandoned me. I already knew that. However, hearing him say it out loud was different. It was enough for me.

Without warning, my knees buckled and I crumpled to the floor. My legs no longer had the power to support my weight.

Ash ran forward, and in an instant he was kneeling beside me. "Tepig, are you all right? Can you still fight?"

"Pokaa," I mumbled uselessly, my vision blurred by hot tears. I simply lay there, unable to get up nor meet anyone's eyes, especially Suwama's.

Snivy ran to my side. She was waving her arms in an exasperated manner, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Tajaa! Tajaa!" she cried. It might sound like random Pokémon cries to people, but I understood what she was saying.

_Why are you lying around? He abandoned you! You should be ANGRY! Fight!_

"Pokaa."

_I can't._

"Tajaa!" she groaned. The arm-waving got faster and more frantic.

_Oh, come on!_

I said nothing. Doesn't she get the message already? I am in no shape to fight. I can't fight now! I'm too sad at the sight of my ex-Trainer.

Ash tore his gaze away from me and looked determinedly at Snivy. "This means you're going to have to do it alone, Snivy," he said, and she nodded.

Snivy's going to fight alone. It's just as well. She's tough, I know she is. She'll defeat them, even with my lying here uselessly. Of that I'm sure.

I continued to lie there as Ash shouted to Snivy, "Come on! Attract Emboar!"

She jumped into the air, twisting gracefully like exactly what she was - a snake - and suddenly she blinked her brown eyes.

Hearts. Pink hearts were everywhere, floating down towards Emboar. They surrounded him and POOF! Emboar got all weird and glassy-eyed, swaying on one foot as he looked dreamily at Snivy.

He was madly in love with her.

"Now, Snivy! Vine Whip!"

Long green vines stretched out of Snivy's back, whipping a lovestruck Emboar. He was unable to dodge the barrage - his mind was filled with images of Snivy and Snivy only.

Suwama sprang into action. "Heatmor! Use Slash!"

Suwama's Heatmor sprang forward, his sharp claws at the ready. Snivy leapt back, but to everyone's surprise, he didn't attack her. He didn't even try.

He slashed at Emboar instead!

"What?!" Iris' voice floated from the sidelines. "Why is he attacking Emboar?!"

No one knew, but suddenly, I realized that it was obvious.

Emboar's eyes weren't glossy or unfocused anymore, and he began to slap at his cheeks as if waking up from a nightmare.

I knew, now his mind wasn't filled with images of Snivy anymore. Heatmor had snapped him out of his confused infatuation.

Suwama shouted again, jabbing his finger into the air. "Emboar, Heatmor! Attack!"

Emboar used Flamethrower while Heatmor used Flame Wheel. Their attacks were aimed at Snivy and I. "Dodge!" shouted Ash.

Snivy did her part perfectly. She leapt and avoided Emboar's Flamethrower.

Well. I didn't know what was wrong with my legs, why they were never quick enough. OK. I know the problem is not with my legs, but the mere sight of Suwama seems to have put a spanner in the works of my brain.

FWOOOM! Flame Wheel hit hard, knocking me back. Ugh. My snout was burnt. Something told me I was going to get even less useful in this battle.

But Suwama wasn't even finished yet. "Now, Heatmor, use Fury Swipes!"

Heatmor roared as loudly as an anteater could and ran forward, claws ready. He was running straight at Snivy.

"Pokaa!" I croaked, but I was too late.

A last jarring slash forced Snivy back. She may be cut and bruised, but her face didn't change - the fire in her eyes were still flashing. Her mouth was in a determined line.

But Suwama still wasn't finished. "Emboar!" he yelled. "Heat Craaash!"

Emboar let out the loudest roar I've ever heard, and he suddenly sprang up into the air. He was engulfed in flames.

I wondered what he was going to do. Wait. He seemed to be falling back to the earth like a fiery meteor. A meteor about to hit...

_CRASH!_

The meteor hit. And Snivy was underneath it!

The dust cleared. Emboar was sitting cross-legged on the ground. And underneath him, I could see the unmoving, bedraggled body of...

Snivy!

Emboar stood up as if nothing had happened and walked away, leaving Snivy there like something someone dropped on the pavement. She was just lying there motionless. Everyone gasped.

Suddenly, I caught the tiniest of movement. My mouth dropped open (if it wasn't open already). Snivy's tail gave a small twitch. The next second, she was shakily picking herself up. Shakily, but surely.

And once she was up, she shot a no-nonsense look at me and started twittering furiously. "Tajaa tajaa tsutarja tajaa tajaa!"

Ash and the others, who couldn't understand our language, groaned with relief, for she seemed to be OK.

As for me? Either she was saying that so fast or my brain was so slow, I didn't know - I couldn't process what she had said. Maybe she was angry that I hadn't done anything useful in the battle, or maybe she was exasperated because I was still too afraid to fight Suwama. One thing was for sure, though - I was amazed. Amazed that after a fall like that, she got back up. Being crushed under Emboar must really hurt, yet she shrugged it off like nothing had happened. My mouth, I could tell, was still hanging open.

I stared at her. She stared back at me. I stared. She stared back.

Then Ash's voice butted in. "Come on, Tepig! It's your turn to attack now!"

I simply continued to stare at Snivy. Her face meant business. Her expression read, "Come on, you heard him! It's your turn!"

Suddenly, I tore my eyes away from her and fixed them on Suwama. I glared.

Suddenly, I felt _angry._

What exactly did he want? Abandoning his Pokémon, telling his brute of a Pokémon to sit on someone else's. Oh, I felt so ANGRY.

I turned to Ash. My face must be a dead giveaway - it must be snapping, "OK. So what do I have to do?" because he grinned and responded, "OK! Use Flame Charge!"

Anger was my motor then, the one that kept me going. I did as I was told. I bounded at them, faster, faster. Flames enveloped me. Still I ran faster.

"PokapokapokapokapokaPOKABU!"

I emerged out of the smoke and dust, leaping at them, tackling them. The fire was still enveloping me.

And then, _BAM!_ They fell back, taken by surprise, landing on the hard ground. Their eyes were wide. I think they didn't know how I suddenly got the courage to attack.

Meanwhile, I bounced back and landed perfectly in front of Ash.

"Brilliant, Tepig!" he hooted. "Way to go!" Cilan, Iris, and Pikachu were cheering too.

Suwama's face was of anger. He also seemed to be wondering why I had suddenly sprang into action and simply attacked. "Fine, then, you asked for it!" he screeched. "Emboar, Heatmor! Time for our combo move!"

With an intimidating roar, Emboar got ready to use Heat Crash again. This time, he was engulfed in blue flames. He began running. Heatmor also leapt into action, using Flame Wheel. However, he was aiming it at Emboar. The spiraling flames covered him also. Now Emboar was enveloped with blue flames and red flames, the latter trailing behind like a comet's tail.

Ash blinked. I faltered. What kind of combo move WAS this?!

Suddenly, the realization hit me. The combo move, whatever it was, was aimed...

At...

Me.

* * *

Emboar was running faster than my expectations of a huge boar with a flaming beard. He charged at me, like a huge fiery missile.

Ash began to shout at me, but I hardly heard him.

The anger that drove me for a while there had disappeared. It was replaced by sheer horror. I was frozen with fear, doing nothing but gawk as the missile got nearer... And nearer... And NEARER!

Suddenly, there was a flash of green.

WHAM!

Something smashed into me from my right, sending me flying and rolling away in a frenzy of "Pokaapokaa!"

But it wasn't the fiery missile.

It was Snivy.

Once I had rolled to a stop a few meters away, I looked up, horrified, just in time to see Snivy land perfectly after having jumped and shoved me away. Now she was standing exactly where I had been standing. Which meant...

_KA-BLAMM!_

A horrible explosion ripped the room. Everyone stared in fascinated horror as sparks flew and flames leapt. My eyes were as wide as saucers, my mouth hanging open again.

Whump!

Something landed beside me. I turned, and to my horror, it was Snivy. She was cut and bruised and now burnt, and was once more lying on the ground.

Only this time, she didn't get up.

"Snivy!" Ash was shouting, and the next heartbeat he had darted forward and scooped her up in his arms. I continued to stare at her with silent horror.

"Snivy, are you all right?" Ash murmured, but she was still as motionless as ever.

Then suddenly, her eyes flickered open. "Tajaa," she whispered weakly.

Ash cradled her. "Oh, I'm glad you've come around," he said softly. "You took a lot of damage back there."

I was still staring at them. Snivy's eyes opened all the way, and suddenly, they were focused on me.

The look, that usual no-nonsense one, was aimed at me. I was sure of that.

But I did nothing but continue to stare.

Ash caught her staring at me. "Tepig, this means you're going to have to battle on your own now," he said. "Please."

"You can do it, Tepig!" Iris shrieked from the sidelines. "Pikaa!" Pikachu shouted. Cilan was shouting something around the lines of "Come on, Tepig! Show 'em you've got spice!" Ash looked hopeful and pleading. And when I caught Snivy's eyes, she smiled weakly, curling one hand into a fist. "Tajaa!"

_Fight!_

The next instant, uncontrollable anger bubbled inside me. Suwama had really done it this time. He had abandoned me, told his Emboar to crush Snivy and now she was badly hurt. All because of him. My ex-Trainer.

I decided I've had enough.

I caught his eyes. He was wearing an ugly smirk. I tossed my head and snorted. Flames burst out of my nostrils. Then I threw back my head and let out an ear-piercing howl.

"POKAAAABUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"That's it, Tepig!" Ash was shouting. But the next second, his face had changed into that of surprise. Gasps escaped from Iris and Cilan.

I was too... occupied... to see what was going on, so I didn't notice that the flames around me were changing color from red to blue.

Suddenly, my arms and legs felt as if they were getting longer. My ears also got longer, taller, my body stronger. I felt as if I was growing... Fangs.

And then, whoomph! The blinding blue light disappeared, just like that, and I simply realized that I just wasn't Tepig anymore. Not cute little Tepig, but newly-grown, much stronger...

"CHAOBOO!"

I didn't know how I knew, but I simply knew that was my new name in Pokémon language.

And as for it in human language?

Ash quickly dug in his pocket for his Pokédex. He took it out, still holding Snivy - whose brown eyes were wide, and turned it on.

"Pignite," droned the voice from the Pokédex. "The Fire Pig Pokémon. Whatever it eats becomes fuel for the flame in its stomach. When its internal fire flares up, its movements grow faster and sharper. When in trouble, it emits smoke. When it is angered, the intensity of the flame increases."

When I'm angered, the intensity of the flame increases. I like the sound of that. Besides, I think that was what was going on now. Proudly turning to face Emboar and Heatmor, I felt... _Really fired up._ Yeah. Things can't get any better than this.

_I'm going to get you, Suwama. I'm going to crush your Pokémon like how you told them to do to Snivy. I'll win for Ash. I'll win for Snivy, too. I'll make you wish you'd never abandoned me in the first place!_

I caught Suwama gawking at the newly-evolved me with his mouth hanging open. But when he saw that I was looking at him, he quickly regained his composure.

"Hmm, that was most interesting," he sneered. "But I'm keeping to my plans - I'm going to win!"

I snorted, and flames burst out of my nose. Maybe that's the 'internal flame' Ash's Pokédex kept on babbling about.

_Really, Suwama? I don't think so!_

"CHAOBOOOOO!"

With that, I punched the floor. The next instant, scorching red columns of fire appeared from the part of the floor I'd punched, and more columns appeared until Emboar and Heatmor were surrounded by them. They were standing in a ring of fire.

The ring pressed in, scorching them horribly, and when it finally disappeared in a cloud of smoke, they were teetering and swaying.

Wow. I never would have guessed I could do THAT.

"Pignite! Flame Charge!" shouted Ash. "Tajaa!" Snivy also cried out.

I ran forward at them. Red flames appeared, enveloping me. There was a cloud of smoke.

WHAM! They were completely taken by surprise. I charged out of the cloud of smoke, tackling them with flames still all around. They fell heavily onto the ground, and they didn't get up again.

There was a moment of silence.

And a heartbeat later, it was all over.

Everyone was cheering. Ash was jumping up and down, Snivy still in his arms. I ran towards them happily. I was overjoyed. I defeated Suwuma!

Once I got to them, I sort of threw myself at them both, smashing them into a rowdy group hug. Ash patted my back with one arm while the other was still holding Snivy. Snivy herself was so small compared to me now. She was twittering and laughing happily. For once, she was not her quiet, mysterious self.

"Humph." Meanwhile, Suwama withdrew his Pokémon and started to walk over.

"Hey, Pignite."

I let Ash and Snivy go and turned to see him approaching. If I had an eyebrow, I would have raised it. _What did he want now?_

He smiled halfheartedly. "I take back my words," he said. "Maybe you DID improve since the last time I trained you. You have certainly gotten stronger now. That ring of fire attack was cool. What was it, anyway? Fire Pledge?"

I said nothing.

His smile went wider. "So, what do you think?" he said. "Would you like to come back to me? Please?" He extended his arm.

I stayed silent. The back of my neck was burning - I could tell that Ash and Snivy were staring at me. Going back to being Suwama's Pokémon?

I thought it over. Then I grinned. I opened my mouth...

But instead of answering, I spewed fire out of my nose at Suwama's red hair!

Chuckling to myself, I trotted back to where Ash was standing. He was obviously trying to bite back a laugh as he rested a hand on my shoulder. "Well, I think he said no," he said to Suwama.

Suwama blinked, his face sooty, his red hair no longer red. It was sticking up in every direction imaginable. Then his face scrunched into that of anger.

"Grrrrrr, I never ever want to see you again!" he shrieked in anger. Then he hightailed it out of here.

"Ever!"

His last cry was still echoing in the room when Ash turned to me, smiling.

"Thank you, Pignite," he said sincerely. "Thank you for getting over the sadness of being abandoned by your ex-Trainer. It must've been hard for you, and yet you got over it. You did. I'm so proud of you." He smiled and patted my head.

"Chaoo," I said. "Chaoboo."

My first reply was a "You're welcome" for Ash, but my second was actually for Snivy.

_Thank you._

She grinned. "Tajaa," she said.

_You're welcome._

Suddenly, we heard the sound of footsteps. Iris, Cilan, and Pikachu were running over to us. Iris was, of course, still cheering, being the energetic girl she was. Cilan's comments all had to do with food. Pikachu was squealing, "Pikaa pikaa! Pikachuu!" as he struggled to keep up with the two Gym Leaders.

And then, I realized that maybe being abandoned by Suwama wasn't that bad after all. »̶✽«_̶_

* * *

_Author's Note: The battle was epic, so that's what I decided to write about. Hahahah, I hope that wasn't too crappy! ^^_


End file.
